Learn›Techniques

Techniques

Mixing, fermentation, shaping and baking, explained from the bench.

How long to bulk ferment sourdough, and how to tell when it is done

Bulk fermentation is done when the dough has grown 30 to 75 percent, domes at the edges and jiggles as one mass. At 24 to 26 °C that takes four to six hours.

Sourdough starter feeding schedule, worked back from mix time

Feed the starter so it peaks at the moment you mix. The feeding ratio and the temperature are the two timers; set them for your mix time and the schedule writes itself.

What is autolyse, and how long should it be?

Autolyse is a rest of flour and water only, 20 minutes to an hour for most doughs, before salt and leaven go in. It shortens mixing and makes dough extensible.